$4 Million Gift Creates Template to Expand Access for Catholic High School Graduates Nationally and Globally Through the Moriarty-Pullano Pathway

Le Moyne has announced the launch of the Moriarty-Pullano Pathway, a transformational initiative funded by two generous donors. Designed as a bridge to fully fund tuition for Catholic high school students, the pathway helps remove the financial barriers to college and serves as a key element in increasing the College’s investment in academic excellence, a cornerstone of the Tomorrow Together strategic plan.

The initiative is made possible through two major philanthropic commitments totaling $4 million from Board of Trustee members Robert Moriarty and Dominick Pullano ’76. Their targeted investments will address financial barriers for students seeking to transition from a Catholic secondary education to the values-centered, Catholic Jesuit environment at Le Moyne.

Moriarty has committed $3 million to bridge financial aid to provide full-tuition scholarships for graduates of St. Vincent Academy in Newark, N.J. who want to attend Le Moyne.

“This initiative is close to my heart, carrying forward a legacy that began when my grandmother attended St. Vincent Academy from 1917 to 1921,” said Moriarty. “By providing full-tuition scholarships, we are opening doors for these exceptional young women to experience the transformative power of a Le Moyne education. Seeing the immediate impact with our first student and looking forward to welcoming eight more this year proves that this pathway will truly change lives.”

A long-time Le Moyne supporter, Pullano has consistently engaged with the College through various roles, including leading the Alumni Board, serving on the Board of Trustees and involvement with the investment/finance committee. His philanthropic legacy at Le Moyne already includes the Dominick and Rita Pullano Accelerated Nursing Scholarship, the Dr. John T. (Jack) Boorman ’63 Endowed Chair in Business & Economics and helping to organize the Class of 1976 “Newts” project to name the Reilly Courtyard. Pullano’s $1 million gift will provide crucial tuition aid to Catholic high school students in the Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo regions.

“We want to ensure that students from our local Catholic high schools know that a premier Catholic Jesuit education is entirely within their reach,” said Pullano. “This pathway is about keeping our community strong, vibrant and deeply connected to our regional roots.”

The gifts arrive at a pivotal time in higher education, allowing Le Moyne to aggressively recruit and retain students who thrive in faith-based, service-oriented academic communities, ensuring that aid is available for students throughout their time at the College.

Looking toward expanding impact, the College plans to use the pathway as a template to open doors to a Le Moyne education from various geographic areas meaningful to its donors. “The Moriarty-Pullano Pathway represents a profound commitment to our core identity and a bold step forward in our philanthropy and enrollment strategy,” said Jim Joseph ’83, Ed.D. ’23, vice president of Advancement and Innovation. “By investing immediately and directly into these students, our donors are not just providing financial aid. They have developed a seamless bridge from Catholic secondary education to tuition free higher education on the Heights. We are deeply grateful for their vision and their dedication to our future Dolphins.”